I picked a heck of a time to play my worst round of the year. It was Round 1 of the Deepwoods championship at Copetown Woods. With seven rounds under my belt in 2016, I had already collected scores of 85, 86, and 87. A couple times when I topped 90, it was only due to one or two very unusual blowup holes. Those don't hurt you as much in Deepwoods events, which use a modified Stableford scoring system. All of which left me feeling confident that I could do well at Copetown, despite having to start the season as a 15 handicap.
The course is one that I should dominate. From the white tees, it measures a shade under 6,000 yards. There is ample space to drive the ball on most holes. You have to avoid water and OB on a couple of holes, but there really is plenty of room opposite the danger. Long fescue is probably the biggest defence, but you can play through some wispy areas, especially early in the season. Copetown Woods is not a course that beats you. Rather, it's a place where you beat yourself.
I was worried about the weather, which was very hot and humid. I could feel a headache coming on even before the round began, so I took no chances and decided to take a power cart. I also had plenty of water for hydration. Out of the gate, I was actually on fire. I hit driver, 5-iron into the green on the opening hole, a 431-yard par-5. From 12 feet, my eagle putt missed low, but I tapped in for birdie! I hit driver to the ninth fairway on hole #2, a 397-yard par-4. No problem, as I stuck a 7-iron from 150 yards away to within 10 feet. Club choice was perfect, as it was straight into the wind. I missed the ensuing uphill putt, but tapped in for a stress-free par.
That's where the strong start ended, as I duffed a 6-iron with my second shot on hole #3, after finding the fairway off the tee. From 80 yards, I flared a wedge into a greenside bunker. It took three shots to get out, and I still wasn't on the green. This, despite spending a good amount of time before the round in a practice bunker. I hit shots with no ball, just to get a feel of hitting the sand properly. Then I introduced some balls until I felt like I was getting out with a reasonable degree of consistency. It was all for naught. I was in two more greenside bunkers over the rest of the round. The second time, it took two shots to get out and find the green. The third time, it only took one shot. I guess that's progress (sarcasm). I finished hole #3 with a chip and 3 putts for a 10!
I actually wasn't upset at that stage. You can overcome blowup holes in Stableford and I was still on pace for a good point total thanks to the first two holes. I made par on hole #4, a short par-3, and picked up another couple of points. Even a triple-bogey on hole #5, a par-4 that was playing right into the wind, didn't faze me. I flared a high drive well right into the fescue, which was a harbinger of things to come. On hole #6, the wind was now at our backs, and I pumped a 290-yard drive down the pipe. An 80-yard wedge shot found the correct level of the green and I 2-putt for an easy par. This was followed by another par on hole #7, a short par-3.
If there's one shot at Copetown Woods that I've come to hate, it's the tee shot on hole #8, a 304-yard par-4. There's a pond in front of the green that is reachable with driver, so your best bet is to hit less club off the tee and to attack on your second shot. There's also a strand of pine trees ahead of the tee, on either side of the fairway. They're really not in play, but I suppose that visually, they create a bit of a chute effect. I'm shaking my head as I write this, because those pines should not be an obstacle in the least. Yet, it seems every time I've teed off on that hole over the last few years, I pull one sharply into the pines on the left. It doesn't matter what club I use. This time, it was a 5-wood that smacked one of the trees and came backwards into thick fescue. I tried to hack one sideways to the fairway with the lob wedge, but I only made it out to the rough and was still blocked out by the pines. I punched one through to the fairway, still 160 yards from the pin. My fourth shot was left of the green on a hillside and I was now short sided. I made a nice up, but 3-putt for a score of 8.
I finished the front nine with a score of 48, but a decent total of 17 points. The first four holes of the back nine all produced bogey, so I was hanging in there in terms of points. I collected zero points on hole #14, a par-5, and this time I couldn't recover. My drive on hole #14 was one of those high flares and I found a narrow patch of thick fescue right of the fairway. I did well to hack it to the 150-yard stick from there. Then came two successive misses that were totally uncalled for. I completely miss hit an 8-iron, sending the ball skidding ahead 80 yards to just in front of a bunker. From 70 yards, I quit on a pitch attempt, plunking the ball right into the sand. There is no excuse for that. Mentally, those two shots did me in. I went on to 3-putt for a triple-bogey.
I collected just five points over the last five holes, finishing with 29. The lone bright spot in that stretch was a par on hole #16, a par-5. I hit one of those flare drives and was in a waste bunker after two, still 180 yards from the flag. Next, I hit a lovely 6-iron high and just left of the green. An up and down completed the par score. You hate to start the Deepwoods season this way. You can drop your lowest score of the season, but you really don't want that to be the first round. When you start well, the dropped round is a huge insurance policy. When you use it right out of the gate, you're left with no safety net. The courses get a lot harder too, which doesn't bode well.
Bad timing indeed.
Score: 98
Putts: 39
Fairways: 3
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
May 30, 2016
May 25, 2016
Braeben Yields Good Result
I stayed close to home for my latest round of golf, with a visit to Braeben Golf Course, in Mississauga. I pulled my drive into the trees on the opening par-5, requiring another attempt. Hitting my third from the tee, I fired a laser that rode the wind a total of 335 yards. You gotta love it! Unfortunately, the rough pinched in right where my ball came to rest. I was just 165 yards from the green, but the ball was almost at waist level. I choked up and took a baseball swing, advancing the ball only about 100 yards. A pitch to the back of the green and 3-putt produced a triple-bogey.
I had another woeful tee shot on hole #2, a 144-yard par-3. The ball went left and low into a hazard. After taking a drop, I made a great pitch and putt for the up and down to save bogey. With two holes in the books, I already had two penalty strokes. Luckily, they were the only ones I would collect for the entire round. I settled into a groove over the remainder of the day that included seven pars, seven bogeys, and a couple of doubles. My final score was a very respectable 87, which compares nicely with the 85 and 86 that I collected earlier in this young season.
The easiest way to make pars is to hit the greens in regulation. Beginning with hole #3, I hit six of the next eight greens in regulation. Four of those holes yielded pars. Unfortunately, 3-putts resulted in bogeys on the other two holes. Though I was safely on the greens in those cases, I was a long way from the holes. One of these was hole #7, a 138-yard par-3 from an extremely elevated tee. The green is wide and shallow, with a pond and bunkers covering the front. The pin was tucked to the extreme right – the most dangerous position possible. I went to the safer side, which left a ridiculously long first putt across the entire green.
Despite the 3-putts, I wasn't putting poorly. Over the last eight holes, I only hit two greens in regulation, both of which resulted in pars. I was chipping more often, which took the 3-putts out of the equation. While my approaches with irons cooled off, my driving got hot. I hit six of seven fairways over this stretch, and I only missed the seventh by about two yards. The best of the bunch was a 332-yard laser on hole #16, a par-5 that runs parallel to hole #1, where I hit the other beastly drive earlier in the day. I had 145 yards remaining to the hole, but miscalculated on the approach, as the straight line distance was probably just 125 yards. I found myself 20 yards over the back of the green and my subsequent pitch shot was short, landing in a greenside bunker. Bogey was the ultimate outcome.
Overall, I'm happy. I'm playing with some confidence now. Even when I have a blowup hole, I feel like it's a long round and I can still get a good result when all is said and done. My handicap factor is down to 16.4 – less than a point off my personal best (15.7). My next round will be the 2016 Deepwoods opener at Copetown Woods. I'll be starting as a 15 handicap at that event, so I feel ready for the challenge.
Score: 87
Putts: 38
Fairways: 8
Greens: 8
Penalties: 2
I had another woeful tee shot on hole #2, a 144-yard par-3. The ball went left and low into a hazard. After taking a drop, I made a great pitch and putt for the up and down to save bogey. With two holes in the books, I already had two penalty strokes. Luckily, they were the only ones I would collect for the entire round. I settled into a groove over the remainder of the day that included seven pars, seven bogeys, and a couple of doubles. My final score was a very respectable 87, which compares nicely with the 85 and 86 that I collected earlier in this young season.
The easiest way to make pars is to hit the greens in regulation. Beginning with hole #3, I hit six of the next eight greens in regulation. Four of those holes yielded pars. Unfortunately, 3-putts resulted in bogeys on the other two holes. Though I was safely on the greens in those cases, I was a long way from the holes. One of these was hole #7, a 138-yard par-3 from an extremely elevated tee. The green is wide and shallow, with a pond and bunkers covering the front. The pin was tucked to the extreme right – the most dangerous position possible. I went to the safer side, which left a ridiculously long first putt across the entire green.
Despite the 3-putts, I wasn't putting poorly. Over the last eight holes, I only hit two greens in regulation, both of which resulted in pars. I was chipping more often, which took the 3-putts out of the equation. While my approaches with irons cooled off, my driving got hot. I hit six of seven fairways over this stretch, and I only missed the seventh by about two yards. The best of the bunch was a 332-yard laser on hole #16, a par-5 that runs parallel to hole #1, where I hit the other beastly drive earlier in the day. I had 145 yards remaining to the hole, but miscalculated on the approach, as the straight line distance was probably just 125 yards. I found myself 20 yards over the back of the green and my subsequent pitch shot was short, landing in a greenside bunker. Bogey was the ultimate outcome.
Overall, I'm happy. I'm playing with some confidence now. Even when I have a blowup hole, I feel like it's a long round and I can still get a good result when all is said and done. My handicap factor is down to 16.4 – less than a point off my personal best (15.7). My next round will be the 2016 Deepwoods opener at Copetown Woods. I'll be starting as a 15 handicap at that event, so I feel ready for the challenge.
Score: 87
Putts: 38
Fairways: 8
Greens: 8
Penalties: 2
May 22, 2016
Calerin Hole in One!
It was a pleasant May afternoon at Calerin Golf Club. I stood behind my ball on the teeing ground of hole #14, a par-3 that was playing about 150 yards. There was no significant wind. In my hands, I held the 8-iron I had pulled from my bag just moments earlier. In the distance, the flag stick stood near the right centre of the green. Behind it, a strand of trees formed a dark backdrop, while in front, three bunkers loomed ominously.
I picked an intermediate target just in front of my ball and took my stance accordingly. Next, a practice swing. It felt good. “Inch closer to the ball and repeat,” I thought. And so, I did. The whoosh of the club, the brushing of the grass, the crack of the ball being struck – it all sounded good. The ball flew high and was on a bee-line for the flag stick. There was a bounce, or perhaps two – it was hard to tell as the green was slightly elevated, the hole not visible. “Looks pretty good,” I told my playing partners, and they agreed.
One of my partners threatened the flag stick himself, while the other missed the green to the right. Driving up to the green, I spotted a lone ball on the putting surface, twelve feet right of the hole. “If I hit the stick, that could be mine,” I thought. But my partner's ball was nowhere to be seen. It was not on the green and not off the back, where I imagined it might have come to a stop. So I checked the hole, and sure enough, resting against the flag stick at the bottom of the cup was a ball – my ball.
It was a hole in one! I picked the ball out of the hole, raised my arms in the air and let out a celebratory “yes!” It was strange though – a little forced. I always imagined that getting a hole in one would produce unbridled elation. But my feeling at that moment was something more subtle; it was more like quiet satisfaction than sheer joy. And rather than feeling disbelief over what had just happened, I felt like everything was simply as it should be. It was nice – just different than I could have envisioned before that moment.
There was more to this round, though the hole in one was the obvious highlight. In addition to that eagle, I registered a pair of birdies. The first came on hole #4, a par-5, after I stuck my third shot close. I had an even closer birdie attempt on the previous hole, but was robbed when the ball broke sharply. The second birdie was on hole #17, a par-4, after another approach came to rest close and below the hole.
Making the ace more rewarding was the fact that I had suffered a few blowup holes beforehand. I recorded triple-bogeys on holes #2 and #7. Hole #2 was a baby par-3, measuring just 108 yards. I flew the green with my sand wedge, landing in some fescue. From there, I plunked one into a bunker, then barely emerged from the sand with my third shot. My fourth was a chip that rolled well past the hole. Two putts ended the debacle.
But that's nothing compared to the disaster on hole #9, a 398-yard par-4, where I took a score of 11. My drive finished one yard in the right rough, 150 yards from the green. I pulled an 8-iron slightly, finishing flag high in a greenside bunker. The pin was on the other side of the putting surface, so I had the entire green to work with. I hit one fat, staying in the bunker. Then I hit one thin, rolling through the green into another bunker! Next I hit one fat, staying in the bunker. Then I hit one thin, rolling through the green and into yet another bunker! Not to disrupt the pattern, I hit one fat, staying in the bunker. Then I hit one thin, rolling through the green again! Thankfully, I was no longer in a bunker. My ninth shot was a chip, followed by two putts. SERENITY NOW!
When I started golfing, I had no trouble getting out of greenside bunkers. Now the fear of God grips me every time I find myself in that situation, because I know I can't hit a proper bunker shot to save my life! I've tried different things, but nothing works. Typically, I try to hit the sand a couple inches behind the ball, but end up getting all ball instead. When I focus on avoiding that, I hit sand, but advance the ball just a yard or two, remaining in the bunker. I've tried hinging the wrists more, opening the club face, changing my stance, etc. If there's one thing I desperately need to fix at this point, it's the bunker shot. Aargh!
Even with the disastrous 11 on hole #9, I finished with a score of 94. Had I made just a double-bogey on that hole, it would have been a round of 89. That's how I choose to look at it, so I won't worry too much.
Score: 94
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
I picked an intermediate target just in front of my ball and took my stance accordingly. Next, a practice swing. It felt good. “Inch closer to the ball and repeat,” I thought. And so, I did. The whoosh of the club, the brushing of the grass, the crack of the ball being struck – it all sounded good. The ball flew high and was on a bee-line for the flag stick. There was a bounce, or perhaps two – it was hard to tell as the green was slightly elevated, the hole not visible. “Looks pretty good,” I told my playing partners, and they agreed.
One of my partners threatened the flag stick himself, while the other missed the green to the right. Driving up to the green, I spotted a lone ball on the putting surface, twelve feet right of the hole. “If I hit the stick, that could be mine,” I thought. But my partner's ball was nowhere to be seen. It was not on the green and not off the back, where I imagined it might have come to a stop. So I checked the hole, and sure enough, resting against the flag stick at the bottom of the cup was a ball – my ball.
It was a hole in one! I picked the ball out of the hole, raised my arms in the air and let out a celebratory “yes!” It was strange though – a little forced. I always imagined that getting a hole in one would produce unbridled elation. But my feeling at that moment was something more subtle; it was more like quiet satisfaction than sheer joy. And rather than feeling disbelief over what had just happened, I felt like everything was simply as it should be. It was nice – just different than I could have envisioned before that moment.
There was more to this round, though the hole in one was the obvious highlight. In addition to that eagle, I registered a pair of birdies. The first came on hole #4, a par-5, after I stuck my third shot close. I had an even closer birdie attempt on the previous hole, but was robbed when the ball broke sharply. The second birdie was on hole #17, a par-4, after another approach came to rest close and below the hole.
Making the ace more rewarding was the fact that I had suffered a few blowup holes beforehand. I recorded triple-bogeys on holes #2 and #7. Hole #2 was a baby par-3, measuring just 108 yards. I flew the green with my sand wedge, landing in some fescue. From there, I plunked one into a bunker, then barely emerged from the sand with my third shot. My fourth was a chip that rolled well past the hole. Two putts ended the debacle.
But that's nothing compared to the disaster on hole #9, a 398-yard par-4, where I took a score of 11. My drive finished one yard in the right rough, 150 yards from the green. I pulled an 8-iron slightly, finishing flag high in a greenside bunker. The pin was on the other side of the putting surface, so I had the entire green to work with. I hit one fat, staying in the bunker. Then I hit one thin, rolling through the green into another bunker! Next I hit one fat, staying in the bunker. Then I hit one thin, rolling through the green and into yet another bunker! Not to disrupt the pattern, I hit one fat, staying in the bunker. Then I hit one thin, rolling through the green again! Thankfully, I was no longer in a bunker. My ninth shot was a chip, followed by two putts. SERENITY NOW!
When I started golfing, I had no trouble getting out of greenside bunkers. Now the fear of God grips me every time I find myself in that situation, because I know I can't hit a proper bunker shot to save my life! I've tried different things, but nothing works. Typically, I try to hit the sand a couple inches behind the ball, but end up getting all ball instead. When I focus on avoiding that, I hit sand, but advance the ball just a yard or two, remaining in the bunker. I've tried hinging the wrists more, opening the club face, changing my stance, etc. If there's one thing I desperately need to fix at this point, it's the bunker shot. Aargh!
Even with the disastrous 11 on hole #9, I finished with a score of 94. Had I made just a double-bogey on that hole, it would have been a round of 89. That's how I choose to look at it, so I won't worry too much.
Score: 94
Putts: 33
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
May 13, 2016
Three in the Water at Mystic
Coming off two good scoring rounds in a row, I was eager to test myself again, this time at Mystic Golf Club. Weather was fine, albeit a little cool. We played the back nine first, which I ended up not liking so much. Hole #10 at Mystic is the hardest on the course. It's one thing to play it in the middle of a round, but quite another to start there before you've really had a chance to warm up.
It's a long par-5 with three forced carries over brush covered ravines to reach the green. If you don't hit a perfect drive straight and long, you face a severe test just to make it over the second carry. My drive was good, but not exceptionally long, so I opted to lay up with a pitching wedge to just in front of the dangerous ravine. From there, you could try a very long shot into the green over the final two carries, but it's very risky. I opted to hit a 9-iron to the 100-yard stick. Of course, I bladed it into the hillside opposite the ravine. It took a bad bounce into some bushes. I took my first of what would be many penalty strokes on the day. I actually finished the hole strongly with an up and down for double-bogey.
I bladed the 9-iron again off the tee on hole #11, a short par-3. This time, the ball failed to carry a hazard and I was forced to take another penalty stroke en route to double bogey. After this, I started to play better, accumulating a couple of pars and bogeys through hole #16. There was another double as well, thanks to a fat 9-iron off the tee on another par-3, which was compounded by a poor pitch shot and 3-putt. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the 9-iron, of all clubs, was causing me the greatest trouble.
That is, of course, until hole #17, a par-5 that doglegs around a large pond. I took a conservative line off the tee with the driver, but the ball started right and sliced further right until it splashed into the water. I teed up another ball and unfortunately had the same result. The third time was not a charm, as I did the same thing once again. My fourth attempt finally travelled on the intended line and landed safely on the other side of the water. From there, I hit a great 5-wood just right of the green. A beautiful chip left just a tap-in putt. Had the ball over the water been my first, this would have been a birdie. With all the penalties, it was a score of 10 on the card.
I had a lot of work to do on the front nine, but started terribly with a triple-bogey. After a terrible tee shot with the 5-wood, I recovered well, putting myself in a position to still reach the green of this par-5 in three shots. Unfortunately, I completely duffed a 5-iron into another hazard. Rack up another penalty stroke. Two pars and four bogeys over the next seven holes was a nice run, with many good shots, including chips and putts. Unfortunately, I was so bad on those earlier holes that it didn't make much difference. I limped in on the last hole with a double-bogey, which at least was good enough to save a final score of 99.
Score: 99
Putts: 31
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
It's a long par-5 with three forced carries over brush covered ravines to reach the green. If you don't hit a perfect drive straight and long, you face a severe test just to make it over the second carry. My drive was good, but not exceptionally long, so I opted to lay up with a pitching wedge to just in front of the dangerous ravine. From there, you could try a very long shot into the green over the final two carries, but it's very risky. I opted to hit a 9-iron to the 100-yard stick. Of course, I bladed it into the hillside opposite the ravine. It took a bad bounce into some bushes. I took my first of what would be many penalty strokes on the day. I actually finished the hole strongly with an up and down for double-bogey.
I bladed the 9-iron again off the tee on hole #11, a short par-3. This time, the ball failed to carry a hazard and I was forced to take another penalty stroke en route to double bogey. After this, I started to play better, accumulating a couple of pars and bogeys through hole #16. There was another double as well, thanks to a fat 9-iron off the tee on another par-3, which was compounded by a poor pitch shot and 3-putt. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the 9-iron, of all clubs, was causing me the greatest trouble.
That is, of course, until hole #17, a par-5 that doglegs around a large pond. I took a conservative line off the tee with the driver, but the ball started right and sliced further right until it splashed into the water. I teed up another ball and unfortunately had the same result. The third time was not a charm, as I did the same thing once again. My fourth attempt finally travelled on the intended line and landed safely on the other side of the water. From there, I hit a great 5-wood just right of the green. A beautiful chip left just a tap-in putt. Had the ball over the water been my first, this would have been a birdie. With all the penalties, it was a score of 10 on the card.
I had a lot of work to do on the front nine, but started terribly with a triple-bogey. After a terrible tee shot with the 5-wood, I recovered well, putting myself in a position to still reach the green of this par-5 in three shots. Unfortunately, I completely duffed a 5-iron into another hazard. Rack up another penalty stroke. Two pars and four bogeys over the next seven holes was a nice run, with many good shots, including chips and putts. Unfortunately, I was so bad on those earlier holes that it didn't make much difference. I limped in on the last hole with a double-bogey, which at least was good enough to save a final score of 99.
Score: 99
Putts: 31
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
May 07, 2016
Steady at Wolf Run
It was a warm, sunny day, so I headed out to Wolf Run Golf Club. Aside from a couple of beat up teeing areas, the course was in good shape. If it was closer, I'd play it more often, but that's the way it goes. I was looking to carry the momentum generated by my previous round at Scenic Woods, and fortunately, I did just that.
Each of the nines at Wolf Run begin with a lengthy par-5. They actually run parallel to each other. I made double-bogey on both of them, starting with hole #10. They were the only results I had that were worse than bogey. On #10, my drive was good, but I miss hit a subsequent 3-iron, then pulled a 5-iron from a bunker into some trees. On hole #1, I pulled the drive left and it trickled into some long grass bordering the woods. I had to hit a left handed pitch shot just to get back to the fairway.
Everything else was amazing, as I tallied 6 pars and 10 bogeys. It should have been 8 of each, but I missed a pair of par putts that were straight and no more than three feet in length. Both of them were pulled and burned the left edge of the cup. In the previous round, I was perfect at those, as I really took some extra focus on my technique. I tried the same this time, but for whatever reason, I gave away those two strokes.
Almost all of the holes were played under total control. One exception was hole #16, a 350 yard par-4, with a wide creek that crosses in front of the green. I hit a perfect drive, but duffed a wedge attempt into the green. My ball stayed out of the water, but was resting against a rock and I had to take an unplayable. My pitch after a penalty stroke was on the green, but far from the hole. No matter, as I drained the long putt to save par.
Hole #4 is worth mentioning, as it was quite interesting both on this occasion and on my previous two visits to Wolf Run. It's a short par-4, measuring just 305 yards from the white tees. Woods line the left side, with more woods pinching in on the right side. You can hit an iron through the gap, which is what I tried the first time. I pulled that one into the woods left, then pushed one into the woods right, leading to a blowup score. You can also hit over the trees on the right, as the fairway widens in behind. That's what I did with the driver the second time I played the hole. It worked like a charm, with my ball coming to rest at the end of the right fairway, just before a creek that crosses in front of the green. I think I finished with bogey that time.
I tried the same strategy this time around. I went with driver, hitting one straight down the left side. I swung nice and easy, but the ball just popped off the club face, then seemed to take a hard first bounce. Uh oh! I was worried that I had gone into the creek. When I drove up, there was my ball, well past the end of the fairway, but about two yards from the edge of the creek. The creek angles from the right side back toward the left, so I really used every inch of space. If the same shot had been to the right side, I would certainly be in the water. I pitched over the creek and 2-putt for a satisfying par.
Hole #9, a par-4 was my last of the day, and also one of those where I missed the easy par putt. Just off the green and flag high after two shots, I made a nice chip. Too bad I missed the easy putt, or I would have equalled my score from the last round at 85. I keep the scorecards from my very best rounds, and until recently, I had a couple scores of 86 in the mix. Now that I've added a couple good rounds, the 86 cards have fallen out of the collection. So this one won't go in the collection, but that's more than okay. It means I'm inching up a little more with each round. I have 11 rounds of 85 or better under my belt, and am looking to add more. I have still never broken 80. Could that be on the horizon?
Score: 86
Putts: 34
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
Each of the nines at Wolf Run begin with a lengthy par-5. They actually run parallel to each other. I made double-bogey on both of them, starting with hole #10. They were the only results I had that were worse than bogey. On #10, my drive was good, but I miss hit a subsequent 3-iron, then pulled a 5-iron from a bunker into some trees. On hole #1, I pulled the drive left and it trickled into some long grass bordering the woods. I had to hit a left handed pitch shot just to get back to the fairway.
Everything else was amazing, as I tallied 6 pars and 10 bogeys. It should have been 8 of each, but I missed a pair of par putts that were straight and no more than three feet in length. Both of them were pulled and burned the left edge of the cup. In the previous round, I was perfect at those, as I really took some extra focus on my technique. I tried the same this time, but for whatever reason, I gave away those two strokes.
Almost all of the holes were played under total control. One exception was hole #16, a 350 yard par-4, with a wide creek that crosses in front of the green. I hit a perfect drive, but duffed a wedge attempt into the green. My ball stayed out of the water, but was resting against a rock and I had to take an unplayable. My pitch after a penalty stroke was on the green, but far from the hole. No matter, as I drained the long putt to save par.
Hole #4 is worth mentioning, as it was quite interesting both on this occasion and on my previous two visits to Wolf Run. It's a short par-4, measuring just 305 yards from the white tees. Woods line the left side, with more woods pinching in on the right side. You can hit an iron through the gap, which is what I tried the first time. I pulled that one into the woods left, then pushed one into the woods right, leading to a blowup score. You can also hit over the trees on the right, as the fairway widens in behind. That's what I did with the driver the second time I played the hole. It worked like a charm, with my ball coming to rest at the end of the right fairway, just before a creek that crosses in front of the green. I think I finished with bogey that time.
I tried the same strategy this time around. I went with driver, hitting one straight down the left side. I swung nice and easy, but the ball just popped off the club face, then seemed to take a hard first bounce. Uh oh! I was worried that I had gone into the creek. When I drove up, there was my ball, well past the end of the fairway, but about two yards from the edge of the creek. The creek angles from the right side back toward the left, so I really used every inch of space. If the same shot had been to the right side, I would certainly be in the water. I pitched over the creek and 2-putt for a satisfying par.
Hole #9, a par-4 was my last of the day, and also one of those where I missed the easy par putt. Just off the green and flag high after two shots, I made a nice chip. Too bad I missed the easy putt, or I would have equalled my score from the last round at 85. I keep the scorecards from my very best rounds, and until recently, I had a couple scores of 86 in the mix. Now that I've added a couple good rounds, the 86 cards have fallen out of the collection. So this one won't go in the collection, but that's more than okay. It means I'm inching up a little more with each round. I have 11 rounds of 85 or better under my belt, and am looking to add more. I have still never broken 80. Could that be on the horizon?
Score: 86
Putts: 34
Fairways: 9
Greens: 5
Penalties: 1
May 04, 2016
More Goods at Scenic Woods
OK, I don't know how to explain this. I made my third ever visit to Scenic Woods Golf Club, which is south of Hamilton / Stoney Creek. My first visit there was in October 2014, and my second was in October 2015. On both of those occasions, I shot 85. This time around, guess what I shot? You guessed it, another 85!
To put this in perspective, consider the fact that I've scored 85 or better only 11 times in my lifetime. The fact that three of those happened at the same course is pretty remarkable. By contrast, the other eight happened at eight different courses. It's not like I play Scenic Woods a lot either – I've only played there those three times.
So what accounts for my unusual success at this particular course? If you're not familiar with it, you might assume it's a pretty easy layout. However, the data doesn't really support that. Granted, on all three occasions, I played from the white tees – a modest length of 6005 yards. Even so, the slope / rating from the whites is 129 / 69.1 – which is comparable to the other courses I play. In fact, I only played four courses with a higher slope in the entire 2015 season: Bradford Highlands (130), Twenty Valley (130), Pheasant Run (131), and Bond Head (132). I could play from the blue tees (6451 yards) at Scenic Woods, as I often play courses of similar length. My point is merely that the whites offer a challenge that is comparable to my usual efforts.
Anecdotally, I can also tell you that the course is no pushover. Yes, it begins with an open and straight par-5 that presents little difficulty, but the layout soon comes into its own, with a mix of holes that require good decision-making and shot execution. Find the wrong side of a fairway on a dogleg par-4 and you'll be blocked out by high trees. Choose the wrong club off the tee or miss hit one and you will end up in numerous water hazards. There are a number of risk / reward holes that could be either great or disastrous, depending how you play them. In short, there's plenty that can go wrong if you're spraying the ball.
So, I really have no explanation for my “mastery” over the course. I tend to start well on hole #1, the straightaway par-5, but it would be a stretch to say that this early confidence carries me through the entire round. I made par again on this hole, thanks mostly to a great drive and good approach shot from 120 yards. I bogeyed hole #2, before making pars on holes #3 and #4. Both of those required an up and down from just off the green. I couldn't get up and down from the same situation on hole #5, leading to bogey.
The only trouble had on the front nine came on hole #6, a short par-4. Though it's short, you have to decide whether to lay up off the tee to avoid a creek, or to go over it, leaving a wedge into the green. Last time, I drove the ball easily over the creek, so I decided on the same strategy. Unfortunately, my execution was lacking. I sliced the ball well right, landing near the bank of the creek where it turns up toward the green area. Thick trees on the banks of the creek prevented me from going in the direction of the green. I tried to pitch one backwards through an opening to the fairway, but barely cleared the creek due to a soggy lie. Another pitch was required to get back to the fairway. I then hit the green and 2-putt for a double-bogey.
The front nine finished with two pars and a bogey. The par results came on par-3 holes thanks to beautiful tee shots. On both occasions, I nailed the green, within 15 feet of the flag. My birdie attempts were not terrible, but a little disappointing. Still, I'll take easy pars any day. I was shooting 40 (5 over par) at the turn.
The start of the back nine proceeded much like the earlier part of the round. I went bogey, bogey, par, par on holes #10 through #13. I was hitting greens in regulation and giving myself some legitimate birdie chances. The flow was disrupted with a double-bogey on hole #14, a short par-4. I tried to lay up off the tee to avoid the ever-present creek and some trees that pinch in on the right. I hit a decent shot, but was two yards into the right rough. From that angle, I had to challenge the high trees in order to get near the green. I'm not sure why, but I sculled a 9-iron. The ball was headed for the creek, but struck the iron work of the bridge and came directly backwards. In a slightly tougher situation, I managed to get a PW over the trees, just right of the green. A chip and two putts finished off the double.
I made par on two of the remaining four holes, but sandwiched a pair of double-bogeys in between. On both occasions, a terrible tee shot leading to a penalty stroke was the culprit. On hole #16, a 194-yard par-3, I opened up the face of the 4-iron drastically, slicing the ball into the water hazard. On hole #17, I pulled one with the driver into an environmental area. I made good shots following these errors, but the damage was done.
In the end, I carded nine pars, five bogeys, and four doubles. Nine pars is nice, but the doubles not so much.
Score: 85
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 8
Penalties: 2
To put this in perspective, consider the fact that I've scored 85 or better only 11 times in my lifetime. The fact that three of those happened at the same course is pretty remarkable. By contrast, the other eight happened at eight different courses. It's not like I play Scenic Woods a lot either – I've only played there those three times.
So what accounts for my unusual success at this particular course? If you're not familiar with it, you might assume it's a pretty easy layout. However, the data doesn't really support that. Granted, on all three occasions, I played from the white tees – a modest length of 6005 yards. Even so, the slope / rating from the whites is 129 / 69.1 – which is comparable to the other courses I play. In fact, I only played four courses with a higher slope in the entire 2015 season: Bradford Highlands (130), Twenty Valley (130), Pheasant Run (131), and Bond Head (132). I could play from the blue tees (6451 yards) at Scenic Woods, as I often play courses of similar length. My point is merely that the whites offer a challenge that is comparable to my usual efforts.
Anecdotally, I can also tell you that the course is no pushover. Yes, it begins with an open and straight par-5 that presents little difficulty, but the layout soon comes into its own, with a mix of holes that require good decision-making and shot execution. Find the wrong side of a fairway on a dogleg par-4 and you'll be blocked out by high trees. Choose the wrong club off the tee or miss hit one and you will end up in numerous water hazards. There are a number of risk / reward holes that could be either great or disastrous, depending how you play them. In short, there's plenty that can go wrong if you're spraying the ball.
So, I really have no explanation for my “mastery” over the course. I tend to start well on hole #1, the straightaway par-5, but it would be a stretch to say that this early confidence carries me through the entire round. I made par again on this hole, thanks mostly to a great drive and good approach shot from 120 yards. I bogeyed hole #2, before making pars on holes #3 and #4. Both of those required an up and down from just off the green. I couldn't get up and down from the same situation on hole #5, leading to bogey.
The only trouble had on the front nine came on hole #6, a short par-4. Though it's short, you have to decide whether to lay up off the tee to avoid a creek, or to go over it, leaving a wedge into the green. Last time, I drove the ball easily over the creek, so I decided on the same strategy. Unfortunately, my execution was lacking. I sliced the ball well right, landing near the bank of the creek where it turns up toward the green area. Thick trees on the banks of the creek prevented me from going in the direction of the green. I tried to pitch one backwards through an opening to the fairway, but barely cleared the creek due to a soggy lie. Another pitch was required to get back to the fairway. I then hit the green and 2-putt for a double-bogey.
The front nine finished with two pars and a bogey. The par results came on par-3 holes thanks to beautiful tee shots. On both occasions, I nailed the green, within 15 feet of the flag. My birdie attempts were not terrible, but a little disappointing. Still, I'll take easy pars any day. I was shooting 40 (5 over par) at the turn.
The start of the back nine proceeded much like the earlier part of the round. I went bogey, bogey, par, par on holes #10 through #13. I was hitting greens in regulation and giving myself some legitimate birdie chances. The flow was disrupted with a double-bogey on hole #14, a short par-4. I tried to lay up off the tee to avoid the ever-present creek and some trees that pinch in on the right. I hit a decent shot, but was two yards into the right rough. From that angle, I had to challenge the high trees in order to get near the green. I'm not sure why, but I sculled a 9-iron. The ball was headed for the creek, but struck the iron work of the bridge and came directly backwards. In a slightly tougher situation, I managed to get a PW over the trees, just right of the green. A chip and two putts finished off the double.
I made par on two of the remaining four holes, but sandwiched a pair of double-bogeys in between. On both occasions, a terrible tee shot leading to a penalty stroke was the culprit. On hole #16, a 194-yard par-3, I opened up the face of the 4-iron drastically, slicing the ball into the water hazard. On hole #17, I pulled one with the driver into an environmental area. I made good shots following these errors, but the damage was done.
In the end, I carded nine pars, five bogeys, and four doubles. Nine pars is nice, but the doubles not so much.
Score: 85
Putts: 35
Fairways: 3
Greens: 8
Penalties: 2
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